Track 45

1. gustar takes le, not lo Rule

Because the meaning is it is pleasing to her, the to is built into the structure. So gustar never uses lo, la, los or las: it uses le and les.

store it as to be pleasing to, not to please

nos gusta
we like it

le gusta
he/she likes it

les gusta
they like it

les gustan
they like them

le gustan
he likes them

Keeping the to in your stored translation is what stops the error. Storing it as "to please her" loses the signal that you need le.

2. Other verbs that work the same way Grammar

The same inverted shape, and for the same reason: better stored with the to included.

interesar
to be interesting to

parecer
to seem to

Me interesa · ¿Te interesa? · ¿No te interesa? · ¿Por qué no te interesa? · Le interesa · Les interesa · ¿Te interesaría? · Me interesaría verlo

Me parece · Me parece bien · No me parece bien · No le parece bien · ¿No le parece bien?

With parecer, English already supplies the to: it seems to me. Note that for it seems good Spanish uses bien (well), not bueno. There is a grey area between the two that you pick up by listening.

Before changing any verb, do the quick check. Parecer is an -er verb, so it is parece, not "paresa".

3. que is obligatory in Spanish Rule

In English that is optional: it seems to me he doesn't like it. In Spanish the que must be there.

Me parece que no quiere salir esta noche · Me parece que no le gusta

Putting it in always is going to help you think out your sentences, not just satisfy the grammar.

4. that, there, then, and their w- partners Pattern

Spanish highlights that what is the question version of that, with que and qué being the same word. English shows it too, once you notice the pattern.

that → what · there → where · then → when

Swap the initial t for a w and you get the question word each time.

5. le for "on it" Grammar

Another preposition Spanish does without. I want to put salt on it needs no word for on: the le carries it.

la sal
salt

un poco
a little

Quiero ponerle sal · Me gustaría ponerle sal · Me gustaría ponerle un poco más sal · Me gustaría ponerles un poco más sal

That last one is for putting salt on several things, las papas fritas for instance.

6. Recap: poner and -pose Pattern

componer
to compose, "with putting"

suponer
to suppose

oponer
to oppose

imponer
to impose

In componer the com- is really con-, with the n changing next to the p, so it literally means "with putting", putting together.

Quiero ponerlo aquí · Me gustaría ponerlo aquí · ¿Le interesa salir a bailar esta noche?

Recognising what type of word you are looking at helps comprehension too. Interesar ends in -ar, so it looks like a verb, which tells you it is to interest rather than interesting. That is interesante.